Houseplants: Care and Tips

 

Many people enjoy having plants inside their homes, especially when it is cold outside.

But sometimes houseplants need a little help. If they are struggling, houseplants will let you know. They show discolored leaves, and their stems droop¹ – or no longer stand strong or tall. And there will be little or no growth.

"Plants send signals simply by the way they look," said Dawn Pettinelli, an Extension educator at the University of Connecticut. "If they aren't getting enough light, the leaves will yellow or turn brown and they will be slow to develop."

Leaves with the wrong colors can also mean other problems. These include root problems, insects hurting the plant, the wrong soil moisture, or bad light conditions or temperatures.

One of America's most popular houseplants is the African violet. It has violet, or purple-colored flowers. These plants do not like to be cold, but they also get stressed when it is too warm.

Pettinelli said they start to droop when they are cold. And they will not flower if they are hot.

Pruning²: Plant haircuts

A good way to help renew tired houseplants is by giving them a plant "haircut." In the gardening world, cutting back plants is called "pruning."

Pruning serves many needs. Diana Alfuth is a gardening expert with University of Wisconsin Extension. She said pruning helps with shaping, removing dead matter, and keeping the plants from drooping³.

"Pruning then results in strong new growth," she said. It also helps keep a plant bushier—meaning thicker and more round.

Slow-growing or tree-type houseplants do not do well with major cutting back, she said. Avoid pruning plants like palms, pines and orchids⁴.

Pruning is also a way to start new plants. You can take the cuttings from pruning and grow new plants.

Want a houseplant that needs less care than others?

"Succulents are great," Alfuth said. They can go without water for long periods of time. They grow slowly, so they rarely need pruning or a new pot.

Houseplants diet

A houseplant's diet is important. So is the timing⁵ of when you give them fertilizers—nutrients for growth.

"Houseplants should not be fertilized⁷ during winter when days are short," Alfuth said. "Fertilize⁶ in late winter as days get longer and plants wake up and will need fertilizer to put on growth during spring."

And do not forget to dust.

"When plants start touching⁸ the floor, they start collecting dust," Pettinelli said. "If covered with dust, photosynthesis⁹ is reduced and the plants start losing some of their chemical energy for growth."

Watering plants too much is a leading cause of losing houseplants. So, be careful not to overwater. "Plants lose oxygen when they get too much water," Pettinelli said. "Especially the roots. They'll drown."

Check to see if your plants' roots are overgrown in the bottom of the pot. That means you should re-pot the plant in a new, larger pot. But be sure the pots have holes cut in the bottoms so that extra water can get out.

 

Words in This Story

stem – n. the main long and thin part of a plant that rises above the soil and supports the leaves and flowers

moisture – n. a small amount of a liquid like water, that makes something wet or moist

stressed – adj. feeling worried or anxious, having a lot of pressure

succulents – n. plants with thick, heavy leaves or stems that store water

photosynthesis – n. the process by which a green plant turns water and carbon dioxide into food when exposed to light

1 droop   

v.低垂，下垂；凋萎，萎靡

参考例句：

• The heavy snow made the branches droop.大雪使树枝垂下来。
• Don't let your spirits droop.不要萎靡不振。

2 pruning   

n.修枝，剪枝，修剪v.修剪（树木等）( prune的现在分词 )；精简某事物，除去某事物多余的部分

参考例句：

• In writing an essay one must do a lot of pruning. 写文章要下一番剪裁的工夫。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• A sapling needs pruning, a child discipline. 小树要砍，小孩要管。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 drooping   

adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词

参考例句：

• The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。
• The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。

4 orchids   

n.兰花( orchid的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Wild flowers such as orchids and primroses are becoming rare. 兰花和报春花这类野花越来越稀少了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She breeds orchids in her greenhouse. 她在温室里培育兰花。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

6 fertilize   

v.使受精，施肥于，使肥沃

参考例句：

• Fertilizer is a substance put on land to fertilize it.肥料是施在地里使之肥沃的物质。
• Reading will fertilize his vocabulary.阅读会丰富他的词汇。

7 Fertilized   

v.施肥( fertilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The study of psychology has recently been widely cross-fertilized by new discoveries in genetics. 心理学研究最近从遗传学的新发现中受益匪浅。
• Flowers are often fertilized by bees as they gather nectar. 花常在蜜蜂采蜜时受粉。

8 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

9 photosynthesis   

n.光合作用

参考例句：

• In apple trees photosynthesis occurs almost exclusively in the leaves.苹果树的光合作用几乎只发生在叶内。
• Chloroplasts are the structures in which photosynthesis happens.叶绿体就是光合作用发生的地方。